Homelessness is a growing issue in Manchester. Figures released in January 2018 showed that the number of people sleeping on the streets have rocketed 13-fold since 2010. In the next three years, it expects a 60% increase in people needing help to avoid becoming homeless.

Hence, I have decided to participate in Sleepout to play my part in helping the homeless community. Sleepout is an event is organised by Manchester RAG, a student fundraising group at the University of Manchester Students' Union. In this event, participants are challenged to camp out for a night not just to raise money for local homeless charities but also to get a first-hand experience of how it feels like to sleep out in the cold streets of Manchester.

I’m proud to be supporting 3 local charities that support homeless communities:

1) MASH - MASH (Manchester Action on Street Health) is a charity offering advice & support to women in sex work . Find out more about their work here: http://www.mash.org.uk/

2) Barnabus - Barnabus run many local projects to support homeless and vulnerable people each week, many of whom have severe addictions or mental health issues. To find out more about what they do: http://www.barnabus-manchester.org.uk/

3) Forever Manchester’s Big Change Fund - The Big Change Fund supports individuals who are homeless by paying for items they need - a deposit for a home, a training course, clothes for a job interview, furnishing for a new flat, or travel costs. Find out more here: https://streetsupport.net/manchester/bigchangemcr/

You can make a difference just by donating a small amount! Join me and play your part in tackling homelessness. Thank you!